Biennial for biennial’s sake?

: questions in the wake of their proliferating nature : the Venice Biennale and the European Cultural Centre as case studies

Abstract

The exhibitionary complex in the 21st century is continually transforming due to the
global shifts in the contemporary art market. As a consequence, contemporary art
biennials have transformed and proliferated into self-appointed institutions in every other
city around the world. This report corresponds to a four-month internship experience at
the European Cultural Centre in Venice during the 58th Biennale di Venezia, starting
from September 2019 to December 2019. The aim of this report is to critically question
and investigate the nature of large-scale temporal exhibitions, specifically in light of their
proliferating complexities. This internship report intends to make an analysis using two
case studies, the Venice Biennale which will serve as a theoretical study and the
European Cultural Centre as a practical experience. A critical analysis of the Venice
Biennale, arguably the oldest and most prestigious biennial alongside the European
Cultural Centre’s art biennial Personal Structures, a young and alternative exhibition
platform, provides a measure in weighing the commercial grandeur of the big art event
against the biennial platform as a space for presenting something new where art and their
producers are elevated. To do so, this report will consider the contemporary art biennial
format, the curatorial positionings, the challenges of presenting and representing the
global exhibitionary form and the questions in wake of the proliferation of art biennial at
large. Ultimately, the questions articulated in this study are intrinsically linked to a single
argument, the future direction of contemporary art biennials. Consequently, the purpose
of this report is to meaningfully contribute to the biennial debate by encouraging and
opening discussion where the cultural, social and economic factors can be further
explored through the lens of Culture Studies. Finally, for biennials established, new and
forthcoming this report will highlight important conditions to examine.

Date of Award	15 Jan 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Luísa Santos (Supervisor)